Marvel Mystery Comics #19
The Hag
The Human Torch and Toro are out on patrol when New York City is hit with a blackout. They soon notice some crooks attempting to break into the Stock Exchange When the two heroes try to stop the crooks, they douse them with gas, smothering their flames. Falling to the ground, Toro breaks his arm, prompting the Torch to rush him to a hospital for medical attention.
With Toro getting medical attention, the Torch heads back to police headquarters for leads on the Stock Exchange break in. There the chief shows him a card they received from the Hag warning the city that this is just the beginning. Meanwhile, Toro revives at the hospital delirious and attacks the hospital staff before he is subdued again. Realizing that Toro needs a "flame transfusion" the Torch is called in to help. While in her secret hideout, the Hag is plotting the next phase of her plan.
The following day, the Torch is at the Stock Exchange when he is told that something is affecting the stock ticker. The Torch spots some of the Hag's henchmen and attempts to stop them. When they douse his flame they try to make a break for it but are stopped by the sudden arrival of Toro, who has fully recovered from his injuries. The two learn that the Hag and her minions are at radio station WIAE. There they confront the Hag and learns that she has been attempting to take control of the stock markets, and the capture of the radio station was part of a plot to get information on the foreign markets to make a killing with insider information.
However, despite the Hag's attempts to kill the Torch, she meets her end when one of her men tosses a vial of nitro at the hero causing an explosion that kills her, but leaves the Torch unharmed.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Toro
The Trojan Albatrosses
Continued from last issue...
Betty Dean flies Luther Robinson and Lynne Harrison away from Atlantis after she and her Legion of Loyalists broke free from Namor's imprisonment. However, the furious Sub-Mariner has not given up yet and decides to continue to pursue them. As Betty lands their plane near a ship to take them back to America, Namor is reminded that he can use their Trojan Albatross flying machine to catch up with them in his weakened state.
As Namor speeds after them, Betty's ship nears a Nazi outpost which immediately begins to attack them. Seeing his quarry getting attacked by the Nazi's Namor decides to do something about it. Grabbing explosives from Betty's ship with his Trojan Albatross, he bombs the Nazi base into oblivion.
He then lands the disguised flying machine and reveals himself to Betty and the others. Instead of taking them all prisoner again, Namor listens to reason and follows Betty's suggestion to turn his aggression towards the Nazis who area threat to everyone. Returning to Atlantis with his one-time prisoners they begin rebuilding Namor's fleet of Aero-Subs and they soon return to sea with an army of Atlantean soldiers. They then find and successfully destroy a Nazi battalion of U-Boats.
Recurring Characters
Sub-Mariner, Betty Dean, Luther Robinson, Lynne Harris, Holy One, Nazis, Bob James
Toro Tells All
A text story where Toro recalls his first adventure after meeting the Human Torch. He tells how two crooks tricked Toro into using his flame powers to try and rob a bank, necessitating the Human Torch to save his young sidekick.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Toro
Continuity Notes
Toro recounts how he had just recently met the Human Torch. This happened in Human Torch Comics #2.
The War Against the Limbos
Continued from last issue...
Ka-Zar has been captured by a giant while exploring the Black River region of the Congo and is about to be tossed into the creature's dinner pot. However the area is struck by a sudden earthquake causing the ground to split open. The giant topples into the pit, but before he can fall to his death he is saved by Ka-Zar. The giant, named Bogat, is thankful to Ka-Zar and the two befriend each other.
Bogat tells Ka-Zar that the earthquake was caused by the Limbos, lizard creatures that live in the center of the Earth. With the monsters on the loose in the surface, Ka-Zar agrees to help Bogat fight them back to their domain. However as the battle rages an airplane passing by is forced to land as their engine has overheated. Rushing to the pilots aid, Bogat holds off the Limbos while Ka-Zar and the two arrivals escape.
Recurring Characters
Ka-Zar, Bogat
Mr. Grabbit and the Ghosts
Terry Vance is out with his bicycle club when a sudden rainstorm hits. Seeking shelter they find an abandoned house that they enter. As they explore around the mansion, one of the girls notices a car pulling up to the property. Finding this suspicious the youths all hide upstairs and listen in to what is happening below when two men enter the room.
They witness city official Mr. Grabbit meeting with a local mobster and learn that he has been using the local rackets. Grabbit has decided that he is in too deep and wants to cease operations, however the mob leader wishes their relationship to continue.
Terry and the other children decide to keep Grabbit and the mobster distracted until the authorities can be alerted and when the mob leader arrives the kids dress up in sheets and pretend to be ghosts. They successfully incapacitate the mobsters and frighten Grabbit into going straight. When the authorities arrive, Grabbit vows to go on the straight and narrow from now on.
Recurring Characters
Terry Vance, Doctor Watson
The Hands of Doom
Professor Zog is asked by his colleague Sir John Chadwick to come to his home in England to investigate a supposed ghost who has been haunting his home. Taking Electro with him, Zog arrives in England and is told by Chadwick that his staff had been murdered by a ghostly being that was completely invisible except for its large black hands. Intrigued Philo decides to keep Electro out just in case the strange being returns.
Sure enough, at midnight that night the strange ghostly hands appear in the house and Zog sends Electro to fight it off. The robot is easily overpowered by the strange hands but Professor Zog manages to shoot it with his gun and send it fleeing. Sending Electro after the wounded "ghost" they follow it to the home of Basil Drake.
Drake, a brilliant scientists, has gone mad following a rejected marriage proposal to John's daughter Ellen. He spots Electro coming onto his property and unleashes a pair of giant apes to attack it. However, Electro is able to fight off the apes. When Electro makes it inside, it strangles the invisible attacker into submission but before it can enter the room where Drake is holed up, the madman shoots himself. When Philo and the others are investigating the scene, they find a note detailing that Drake had invented an invisibility potion which he used on his Ethiopian assistant Chandi. Just then they are attacked by Chandi, now restored to normal and Philo is forced to shoot their attacker to death, ending the threat.
Recurring Characters
Electro, Professor Zog
The Rescue of Dr. Bauer
The Vision is drawn to a concentration camp in Nazi occupied France. There he witnesses a number of the prisoners in the camp being led to a chopping block where they are to be executed. Among the prisoners is Dr. Bauer, a noted German scientist who wrote books speaking out against the Nazi cause. Even with death looming, Bauer refuses to give up his beliefs, telling the guard leading him that the Nazi's will ultimately fail in their bid for world domination.
Before the Nazis can execute Bauer, the Vision springs to action causing a massive riot in the concentration camp as the prisoners fight for their very lives. In the confusion, the Vision grabs Dr. Bauer and leads him to a truck and rushes out of the camp and drives away. When a Nazi plane begins to follow them, the Vision uses his illusion casting powers to frighten the pilot into landing his plane. The Vision then takes control of the plane and uses it to fly Bauer to freedom in Switzerland.
Recurring Characters
Vision, Nazis
The Cat's Paw Chapter 2
Continued from last issue...
Trapped in a room with the minions of the Cat's Paw, the Angel quickly fights off his attackers and seeks refuge by diving into an old sewer system and swimming to safety. Doubling back to the crooks hideout, he finds that they have abandoned it leaving him with no clues to follow to learn the plans of the Cat's Paw. Before he can leave, he is attacked by one of his foes minions who tries to stab him with a knife. However, in the struggle the man is killed with a poison dart before he can tell the Angel anything. Spotting the Cat's Paw in a car, the Angel chases after her in his own vehicle however she still manages to escape.
The following day, the newspapers reveal the Cat's Paw's plans: She has been murdering prominent members of American owned munitions manufacturers. Noting that the Junior League is putting on a masquerade party that night with various wealthy and influential men on the guest list, the Angel deduces that will be the next place the Cat's Paw will strike.
Sure enough, at the party the Angel spots the Cat's Paw and gets her to dance with him in order to try and prevent her from killing her mark. However, he is attacked by one of her minions and tosses out a window. Quickly grabbing a flag pole and dropping to safety, the Angel tries to warn J.P. Thomas that he is in danger however the wealthy industrialist is shot dead. Seeing the Cat's Paw and her minions making their getaway, he takes a jump at their car hoping to stop it.
This story is continued next issue....
Recurring Characters
Angel, Cat’s Paw
